1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable fish cleaning apparatus useful by recreational fishermen to clean their catch at the boat landing or other convenient location, where a fish cleaning board can be supported for use at a convenient position upon placement in supportive engagement with the boat and trailer.
2. Description of the prior Art
Recreational fishermen generally find it necessary or desirable to clean and cool their catch soon after fishing is completed in order to prevent spoilage and to maintain the freshness of the catch. In some circumstances, fish cleaning facilities are provided at the landing where the fishermen unload and load their boat off and onto a trailer used to transport the boat to the lake or river. But in many circumstances, there are no such facilities and the fisherman is faced with either waiting until he returns home to clean the fish (which is not a viable option if the time between when the fish is caught and the time the fisherman returns home is too long) or providing his own means of cleaning the fish before returning home.
A number of devices have been developed which permit the fisherman to clean his catch when cleaning facilities are not provided at the landing. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,494 discloses a fish cleaning apparatus which is adapted to be supported upon a container having an upwardly opening mouth (i.e., a garbage can). The cleaning platform has an opening which overlays the opening in the container, and the platform is releasably latched to the container when in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,367 discloses a portable filleting table which is supported by foldable legs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,765 discloses a fish cleaning device which comprises a cleaning board with gripping means for gripping a fish while it is cleaned.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,359 discloses a collapsible fish cleaning table which has a tabletop member with an upwardly facing work surface which is supported by collapsible legs attached to the bottom of the tabletop member.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,734 discloses a tailgate box, table and sink which is mounted on the tailgate of a pickup truck while in use.
The prior art devices are unsatisfactory because they either require other devices for support while in use (i.e., a container or a pickup tailgate) or, if they provide their own means of support (i.e., legs), they are bulky and difficult to transport and store.